Il Ponticello's Back! (This Time You Can Bring the Whole Fam)

Because I have always been a lola at heart, and would rather read a book, leaf through Vogue, or critique the fashion in an MTV music video than go out at night (this was during the dial-up internet days, in my early 20s) I wasn't much of a regular at Il Ponticello, or "Ponti" as everyone likes to call it.

But when my friends could manage to pull me out at 10 in the evening to go out, we would somehow end up there, even to just drop by for a quick drink.

I have actually come to forever associate the place with smoke and a room full of happily inebriated people standing and talking, or rather shouting into each other's ears.

I don't even remember how it actually looked like, if there were any seats at all. And not because I was buzzed, drunk or anything. Honestly, I'd rather spend on shoes than a drink I'll end up puking out.

So it is very clear in my head that the place was always shoulder to shoulder crowded, smoky and dark. Very dark. A great ploy to bump into somebody you were crushing on actually, come to think of it.

It was a whole lot darker than this, which is Ponti's new lounge area today by the way.

So when my mommy group decided to celebrate our send off for our friend Jenny Reyes aka My Mommyology at her in laws' Il Ponticello, the first thing that popped into my head was the smoke and packed room.

"It's different now, it's a gastropub, with good Italian food!" Jenny said.

The mention of good food to 30 something moms, is like telling your 20 something friends that there's an open bar.

Of course, everybody made arrangements to leave the kids at home on a week night, with the perfect excuse to the husbands, "Jenny is leaving in 4 days!"

Of course, some of us, I shall not name names, were also secretly hoping to sneak in a few drinks. Hahaha. Successful naman.

the Ponti Spritz

And the food, as Jenny promised, was excellent! I don't have the actual photos because my photos came out too blurry from lack of light, but Ponti is indeed now a full-fledged restaurant with appetizers, pasta, pizza, main courses, dessert and all.

Penne Pomodoro Salsiccia 

Pizza Maccelaio

Rack of Lamb 

Lasagna Carbonara

You can in fact go to Ponti during lunch with your parents and kids, and they'd have no idea that you spent a portion of your drunken youth there.

Great to know Ponti's back. Why not invite the gang for old time's sake? Get those arteries pumped up with cholesterol from the porchetta, instead of the usual alcohol. Or both. Because you can. Hey, why not.

Il Ponticello
Second Floor, Antel Corporate Center
121 Valero Street, Near V.A. Rufino Street
Salcedo Village, Makati City
Tel: +632 5539971, +63 9497608731